I was sent another blog post by an individual who is a beta tester in the
first beta of the Church's new Family Tree system. You can read it here:
http://rzamor1.livejournal.com/17244.html
Some interesting points from this entry:
"Give it time but GEDCOM I predict will be gone. So will all the problems
that now go with it such as sharing information correctly between
different software programs. You see Family Tree will work even if you are
using a Mac or a PC. The church is developing a web services interface to
this and are going to be open sourcing this project. They will be
soliciting the world to write their own interfaces to this thing. There
will be other websites using this information. You see different cultures
use different ways to show their family trees and they couldn't hope to
write them all. Instead they are writing a way for everyone to interact
with this system so they can write it. Maybe someone will write a lite PDA
version without pictures to get text to your PDA. The heavens are open and
the sky is the limit. The happy day will be when you have to stop teaching
people how to make a GEDCOM."
Web services interface and open source. Wahoo!!! I hope that's correct
information. As I responded to this individual, I think we have only seen
the tip of the iceberg of possibilities in genealogical research.
Another quote:
"The final version is 2.0 to the general public. The focus will be
"Finding my Ancestors through Records". This release will connect
everything together. Right now they have people working on various
portions of this. You have the Family Tree project. Then there is a group
working on a research model that will assist in doing research. Another
group is digitizing the records of the earth (Internet Indexing) and
getting them all in one place, so they can be accessed from anywhere. All
these efforts are going on simultaneously. In the 2.0 time frame they come
together. I want to be around to see that. Unfortunately I don't have any
time frame when these releases will happen - neither do they!"
I get shivers when I think of what will be possible when we combine a
collaborative tool like the Family Tree system, digitized versions of 2
million + (and growing) microfilms and open interfaces to it all.
I'm reminded of Isaiah 9:2,
"The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they
that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light
shined."
As these microfilms are digitized and made available, it's as if the data
about those who were once in darkness (of dusty library shelves and
cabinets) are now being brought into a great light of easier availability.
It's an exciting time to be part of this Work!
-- Dan
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